The frustration only grows for Nottingham Forest, as a positive performance against Fulham was not enough to prevent a fourth consecutive defeat.

This was a match that could have gone either way, with Mark Warburton’s side dominant for long spells – but unable to make the most of that superiority.

Daryl Murphy did cancel out Aboubakar Kamara’s early goal for the visitors with a well-taken header and this was an evening when they did carve out chances at the City Ground.

But a superb Stefan Johansen free-kick and a late counter-attacking goal from sub Neeskens Kebano ensured Slavisa Jokanovic’s side claimed three points and left Mark Warburton to contemplate another loss.

Cummings started as an out-and-out partner up front for Murphy, Osborn and Kieran Dowell were slightly more advanced either side of deep-lying midfielder Liam Bridcutt.

And Mancienne slotted in on the left side of the three-man central defence, alongside Matt Mills and Joe Worrall, with Tendayi Darikwa and Armand Traore as wing-backs.

Forest were very quick out of the blocks and it was by doing what teams have been doing to them – closing down high up the field and putting Fulham under pressure – that they carved out an early chance.

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Dowell won the ball just inside the Fulham half before advancing with purpose. He fed the run of Murphy down the right. The big striker cut onto his left foot with his first touch and sent a powerful, bending shot towards the far post.

David Button made a strong save diving to his right, but could only parry the ball into Osborn – unfortunately the Forest man had no time to react and the ball rebounded off him and looped just wide of the upright.

Cummings then let fly with a shot from range that did not miss the target by much. Fulham responded with a similar effort – that probably flew even closer to goal – from Denis Odoi.

The game was delayed for a few minutes to allow treatment to Rui Fonte, following a thumping 50/50 challenge between him and Bridcutt.

It was Fulham who took the lead in the 13th minute, as Ryan Sessegnon threaded the ball through to Kamara. The Fulham man benefited from the tightest of offside decisions, ghosting into the box and beating Jordan Smith with a shot, with the keeper almost doing enough to keep it out, but not quite.

Sheyi Ojo was denied by a smart save from Smith, with Osborn making a vital block as Fonte looked to drive home the follow-up.

A cross-field ball from Osborn gave Darikwa the chance to cut the ball back to the edge of the box for Dowell, who drove a crisp shot wide of the post. It was a promising move from the Reds – and they were playing some bright football in spells.

When Dowell flicked a ball to Murphy in the box the big striker did brilliantly to lift the ball over the head of his marker but did less well with his shot, which was fired wildly over, after he had done all the hard work.

Ojo fluffed his lines when presented with a good chance to shoot inside the box, while Forest were frustrated by narrow offside decisions at the other end. Cummings looked to have strayed off with one, but Murphy was hard done by with another, as his charge down the centre was halted by the flag.

Forest did equalise in the 33rd minute following another flowing, probing build-up. The momentum looked to have been lost when Cummings halted a progressive run by feeding a simple, short pass to Traore on the edge of the box – but the wing-back had other ideas, whipping an enticing cross to the far post, where Murphy was arriving to head simply but effectively back across goal and inside the far post.

It was a well-crafted goal and one that Forest had deserved, after finding a little more urgency and tempo in their play.

A powerful shot from Dowell deflected kindly into the path of Cummings on the right side of the box, but his effort was also charged down as Fulham defended determinedly.

Darikwa wanted a penalty when Tim Ream impeded his progress in the box, but it would have been a generous decision, early in the second half.

Cummings should have done better when good work from Dowell saw the on-loan Everton man find him in space in the box, only for the striker to stamp his feet in frustration after firing narrowly over the bar.

Fulham had also seen Johansen skim the bar, but it was Forest who pushed again – and were agonisingly close to taking the lead.

Cummings got his shot right this time, sending a low effort fizzing towards the far post, with Button making another smart save – but only succeeding in pushing the ball out towards the penalty spot, where Dowell saw Tomas Kalas make an outstanding block to prevent his drive from finding the net.

Just as Forest began to build some serious pressure on the Fulham goal, it was the visitors who almost hit them on the break, as Kamara saw a vicious low shot bounce back off the foot of the post, with Smith seeming to get a slight touch to it.

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A brilliant ball from Osborn somehow eluded everyone in the centre, amid a packed penalty area.

And it was Fulham who were to take the lead for a second time, following a driving run from Ryan Fredericks. He battled through two challenges before Mills had little choice but to hack him down, to prevent him charging into the box.

The defender picked up a booking for his trouble – but that was not the end of the punishment, as Johansen stepped up to deliver a curling free-kick over the top of the defensive wall and into the corner of the net.

Unlike at Aston Villa on Saturday, there was little blame to be placed on the positioning of the Forest defensive wall – it was just an outstanding strike.

Murphy was inches away from another equaliser as he beat Button with a low shot, but saw it roll wide of the post, in agonising fashion, as the City Ground rose to its feet to celebrate.

David Button wipes out the ball along with Jason Cummings (Image: Ritchie Sumpter @ JMS Photography)

That proved to be the final decisive moment as far as Forest were concerned.

As time ticked away, Warburton threw men forward in search of an equaliser – and found themselves killed off on the break.

Yohan Mollo drove forward before feeding fellow sub Kebano in the box and he powered home off the underside of the bar in the 89th minute.

Sub Zach Clough was close to pulling one back in injury time, but it was not to be, with his shot pushed away by Button.

There were a few boos at the final whistle, as Forest fans voiced their frustration.